Demountable furniture



Sept. 17, 1963 fc. ENTWISTLE I 3,104,132

, v DEMOUNTABLE FURNITURE I Filed March 23,. 1962 I s Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. Cum: fury/3 Sept. 17, 1963 c. ENTWISTLE DEMOUNTABLE FURNITURE3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 23, 1962 INVENTOR. CLIVE [NW/671E Y%/. Z Z

A frag/wry United States Patent Filed Mar. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 181,922 8Claims. (Cl. 297-440) This invention relates generally to furniturestructures, and more particularly to demountable chairs, sofas and thelike which are assembled without screws or other fastening means.

The conventional chair or sofa is composed of a frame for supporting acushioned seat and backrest, the frame having legs fixedly attachedthereto. The frame and leg assembly is usually made of wood or metalpieces held together by screws, rivets or other fasteners, or by gluedjoints. Once the article of furniture is assembled at the factory, itmust be shipped as such, and while the several parts which make up aparticular article will in the knock-down or disassembled conditionoccupy little space, the finished article will pre-ernpt a relativelylarge volume and must be carefully crated or boxed to prevent damage intransit.

Thus a chair inexpensively manufactured in a factory, say in Denmark,may by reason of shipping and handling costs become a costly item by thetime it reaches a show room in the United States. The inability todisassemble seating pieces also adds substantially to home moving costs,and since America has become a highly mobile society this drawback isnot without practical significance.

While folding chairs are known which lend themselves to compact storage,such chairs are generally of the uncushioned auditorium or bridge tabletype and make use of hinged joints which lack stability when the chairis erected. Such folding chairs are not suitable for use in living roomsor in other settings requiring a commodious and comfortable chair ofgood appearance and quality. On the other hand, it is not possible tofold or readily disassemble conventional cushioned chairs, sofas orchaise lounges. One cannot therefore store such articles in a demountedcondition.

Another shortcoming of conventional chairs and the like is that when apart thereof is damaged, it is generally dificult to replace or repairthe damaged part without a major disassembly operation. This repair ofcourse assumes the availability of replacement parts, which is usuallynot the case with conventional furniture, and replacement must as amatter of practice be custom made.

Accordingly it is the main object of this invention to provide ademountable seating article which may be readily shipped and stored.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide ademountable article of the above-type composed of replaceable individualparts which are quickly assembled without the use of bolts or otherfasteners, the article having separable joints of high structuralstrength.

Also an object of the invention is to provide a demountable chair inwhich the front and rear legs are structurally interrelated wherebystresses imposed on the rear legs are also sustained by the front legs.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a low-cost demountablechair of good quality which may be stored and shipped in highly compactform.

Briefly stated, these objects are attained in a structure comprising arectangular frame having corner sockets for receiving upright postsprovided intermediately with pivot pins, the sockets being arrangedwhereby the posts are only free to pivot outwardly from the frame, thelower portions of the posts below the pins constituting legs, and theupper portions, arms.

Each pair of front and rear arms is interconnected by 3,l@4,l32 PatentedSept. 17, 1963 ice arm rest straps which are resiliently tightened, thestraps holding the posts in the sockets and preventing outward movementthereof. Stresses imposed on the back posts by an occupant of the chairtend to deflect said posts outwardly, but such stresses are resisted bythe straps which effectively are anchored by the front posts.

For a better understanding of the invention, as well as other objectsand further features thereof, reference is made to the followingdetailed description to be read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein like elements in the several views are identified bylike reference numerals.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a demountable chair in accordance withthe invention, the chair being fully assembled.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the same chair.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the chair frame and posts.

FIG. 4 shows one corner joint of the chair, disassembled.

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the plane indicated by line 55 of HG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a section taken along the plane indicated by line 6-6 of FIG.2.

FIG. 7 is a section taken along the plane indicated by line 77 in FIG.5.

FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating the connection of an arm rest strapto one post.

FIG. 9 shows the end hook of one of the seat webs of the chair.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the main components of a demountablechair in accordance with the invention are a rectangular frame,generally designated by numeral 10*, provided with corner sockets A, B,C and D for accommodating four upright posts 11, 1-2, 13 and 14 whichare removable therefrom. The pair of front and rear posts 11 and 13 areheld in their sockets A and C by an arm rest strap 15, and the otherpair of posts 12 and 14- are held in their sockets B and D by an armrest strap 16.

The lower portions 11a, 12a, 13a and 14a of the posts elfectivelyconstitute the legs of the chair, while the upper portions 11b, 12b, 13band 14b constitute the arms thereof. The rear arms 13b and 14b arejoined together at their upper ends by a back bar 17 which extendsthrough bores in these arms and serves to support a removable back restcushion 18. Resting on frame 10 is a cushioned seat 19. The cushion maybe formed of foam rubber slabs covered by fabric, leather or any othersuitable material, or they may be of inner spring construction.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the frame is constituted by a pair of woodenyoke pieces joined together by hollow metal cross bars 22 and 23,preferably of steel tubing, ex-

tending through apertures passing through the sockets in the ends of theyoke. The sockets A, B, C and D are formed by rectangular cut-outs inthe yoke endings. In practice the yoke pieces may each be constituted bya pair of parallel slats, the socket being defined by the end portion ofthe slats in conjunction with the cross bar passing therethrough.

A resilient seat backing is formed by an array of webs 24, which may beconstituted by thick elastic bands, the webs terminating in metallichooks 25 and 26 which engage the cross bars 22 and 23.

Each post is provided at an intermediate position be- I tween the armand leg portion with a transverse pivot pin 27 projecting from bothsides of the post. A small arcuate notch 28 is cut into the inner edgeof each post slightly above the position of the pivot pin. The loweredge of each yoke socket is provided with aligned arcuate notches 29 and30 to accommodate the pivot pin 27 when the post is inserted in thesocket, the cross bars 22 and 23, as the case may be, entering the postnotch 28.

In assembling the frame the cross bars 22 and 23 are first inserted inthe apertures passing through sockets A, B, C and D of the yoke pieces2% and 21. Caps 31, which preferably are of nylon, are force fitted intothe ends of the cross bars, as shown in FIG. 4, the caps serving toprevent withdrawal of the bars. The hooked webs 24 are then snappedacross the cross bars to complete the frame.

The posts 11, 12, 13 and 14 are then inserted in sockets A, B, C and D,the pivot pins being received in notches 29 and 39, the cross barsentering post notches 28, as best seen in FIG. 5. In the absence ofstraps 15 and 16, the post cannot pivot inwardly since movement in thisdirection is stopped by the cross rod 22 or 23 against which it abuts,but outward movement about the pivot pin 27 is possible.

The straps 15 and 16 are constituted by major and minor bands 15a and15b, and 16a and 16b, made of leather or ribbed nylon or other suitablematerial. The major bands terminate in rectangular buckles 32dimensioned to admit the minor bands which terminate in triangularbuckles 33. A helical spring 34 is adapted to interconnect thetriangular buckles 33.

The major bands are provided with rectangular cutouts adjacent thebuckles, the cut-outs accommodating the arms of the chair, the majorbands being secured to the rear arms 13]; and 14b by means of the backbar 17 and being secured to the front arms 11!) and 12b by means of pins35 and 36 passing through bores adjacent the upper ends of arms 11b and12b respectively.

Thus when the chair is demounted, the various pieces thereof, which areshown in FIG. 3, plus the two cushions may be enclosed in a relativelysmall carton for shipment and storage. The parts may be quicklyassembled in a series of steps. First the yoke pieces 20 and 21 areconnected by the cross bars 22 and 23 to form the frame and the webs 24are hooked thereon, then the rear posts 13 and 14 are joined together byback bar :17, and these posts are inserted in sockets C and D, the rearportions of straps 15 and 16 being first mounted in place on the bar.The front posts 11 and 12 are inserted in sockets A and B, and the pinsand 36 are inserted in the posts when connecting the front portions ofthe straps 15 and 16 thereto. Finally, the minor bands of the straps areinserted in the buckles therefor, and the springs 34 are applied tocomplete the structure, the entire operation being carried out in amatter of minutes.

It is to be noted that the stresses imposed on the chair are directedmainly toward the rear posts since the sitter tends to rest his weighttoward the rear and to lean against the backrest. However, since therear legs are connected by straps 15 and 16 to the front posts, theseposts serve partially to bear the load and relieve the rear posts of thefull brunt of the burden.

While there is shown what is considered to be a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it is to be understood that many changes may be madetherein without departing from the essential spirit thereof as expressedin the claims annexed hereto.

What is claimed is:

'1. A demountable furniture structure comprising a pair of front postsand a pair of rear posts, a frame having front and rear corner socketsfor pivotally receiving said posts whereby the posts are free to pivotoutwardly from the frame, the lower portions of the posts below theframe constituting legs and the upper portions thereof constitutingarms, and a pair of removable arm rest straps, each strap being coupledbetween a front and a rear arm to prevent outward pivoting of said postsand to hold said posts onto said frame.

2. A demountable furniture structure comprising a pair of front postsand a pair of rear posts, each post having at an intermediate pointthereon a pivot pin projecting from either side thereof, a frame havingfront and rear corner socketsfor receiving said posts, said frame beingadapted to rest on said pivot pins whereby the posts are free to pivotoutwardly from the frame, the lower portions of the posts below the pinsconstituting legs and the upper portions thereof constituting arms, anda pair of removable arm rest straps, each strap being coupled between afront and a rear arm to prevent outward pivoting of said posts.

3. A demountable furniture structure comprising a pair of front postsand a pair of rear posts, said posts be ing provided at intermediatepoints thereon with pivot pins projecting from either side thereof, aframe having front and rear corner sockets for receiving said posts,said frame being adapted to rest on said pivot pins whereby the postsare free to pivot outwardly from the frame, the lower portions of theposts below the pins constituting legs and the upper portions thereofconstituting arms, a pair of removable arm rest straps, each strap beingcoupled between a front and a rear arm to prevent outward pivoting ofsaid posts, a back bar extending between the rear arms and passingthrough bores therein, a back rest cushion lying against said back bar,and a cushioned seat resting on said frame.

4. A demountable furniture structure comprising a pair of front postsand a pair of rear posts, said posts being provided at intermediatepoints thereon with pivot pins projecting from either side thereof, aframe having front and rear corner sockets for receiving said posts,said frame being adapted to rest on said pivot pins whereby the postsare free to pivot outwardly from the frame, the lower portions of theposts below the pins constituting legs and the upper portions thereofconstituting arms, and a pair of removable arm :rest straps, each strapbeing coupled between a front and a rear arm to prevent outward pivotingof said posts, said straps being provided with a helical spring tomaintain them under tension.

5. A demountable chair comprising a frame formed by a pair of parallelyoke pieces and front and rear cross bars interconnecting said yokepieces and passing through transverse bores adjacent the ends thereof,the ends of said yoke pieces having inwardly-directed cut-outs toprovide sockets, the lower edge of each socket having a transverse notchto accommodate a pivot pin, an array of flexible webs stretched acrosssaid frame and provided with end hooks engaging said cross bars, a pairof front posts and a pair of rear posts receivable within said sockets,each post having a pivot pin at an intermediate point thereon projectingfrom either side thereof, said frame resting on said pins in saidnotches whereby said posts are free to swing outwardly from said socketsand are stopped inwardly by the portions of said cross bar passingthrough said sockets, the upper portions of said posts above and pinsconstituting arms and the portions therebelow consti tuting legs, and apair of removable straps each linked between a front and rear arm toprevent outward pivoting thereof and to hold said chair together.

6. A demountable chair comprising a frame formed by a pair of parallelyoke pieces and front and rear cross bars interconnecting said yokepieces and passing through transverse bores adjacent the ends thereof,the ends of said yoke pieces having inwardly-directed cut-outs toprovide sockets, the lower edges of each socket having a transversenotch to accommodate a pivot pin, an array of flexible webs stretchedacross said frame and provided with end hooks engaging said cross bars,a pair of front posts and a pair of rear posts receivable within saidsockets, each post having a pivot pin at an intermediate point thereonprojecting from either side thereof, said frame resting on said pins insaid notches whereby said posts are free to swing outwardly from saidsockets and are stopped inwardly by the portions of said cross barspassing through said sockets, the upper portions of said posts abovesaid pins constituting arms and the portions therebelow constitutinglegs, a back bar connectable between the rear arms, and a pair ofremovable straps, each being linked between a front and rear arm toprevent outward pivoting thereof and being spring tensioned to hold saidchair together.

7. A de-mountable chair comprising a frame formed by a pair of parallelyoke pieces and front and rear cross bars interconnecting said yokepieces and passing through transverse bores adjacent the ends thereof,the ends of said yoke pieces having inwardly-directed cut-outs toprovide sockets, the lower edges of each socket having a transversenotch to accommodate a pivot pin, an array of flexible webs stretchedacross said frame and provided with end hooks engaging said cross bars,a pair of front posts and a pair ofrear posts receivable 'within saidsockets, each post having a pivot pin at an intermediate point there onprojecting from either side thereof, said frame resting on said pins insaid notches whereby said posts are free to swing outwardly from saidsockets and are stopped inwandly by the portions of said cross barspassing through said sockets, the upper portions of said posts abovesaid pins constituting arms and the portions therebelow constiundertension.

8, A chair as set forth in claim 7, further including a removable backrest cushion leaning against said back bar and a removable cushionresting on said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSSaint-Maurice July 7, 1953 Bird July 9, 1957

1. A DEMOUNTABLE FURNITURE STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PAIR OF FRONT POSTSAND A PAIR OF REAR POSTS, A FRAME HAVING FRONT AND REAR CORNER SOCKETSFOR PIVOTALLY RECEIVING SAID POSTS WHEREBY THE POSTS ARE FREE TO PIVOTOUTWARDLY FROM THE FRAME, THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE POSTS BELOW THEFRAME CONSTITUTING LEGS AND THE UPPER PORTIONS THEREOF CONSTITUTINGARMS, AND A PAIR OF REMOVABLE ARM REST STRAPS, EACH STRAP BEING COUPLEDBETWEEN A FRONT AND A